An hour with a Tucana II

[JoelSim]

Clare Newsome:

Stop squabbling, the lot of you

One tip from a fellow Tucana II user, Joel, is that IMO it doesn't sound its best cold. Get everything up to speed with a few tracks while you're pottering around and then sit down for a lovely listen.

I haven't read the manual yet, does it switch off or just switch to standby?

 

[Clare Newsome]

Your choice - you can switch it off at remote for standby, or manually for full-off.

 

[JoelSim]

Aha, good. Don't like leaving things on.

 

[Charlie Jefferson]

JoelSim:Aha, good. Don't like leaving things on.

Joel, what's your thoughts on the Tucana compared to your old Arcams? That's if you can make your mind and ears go back that far.

I've just gone from an A85/P90 combo to the Roksans listed below, and I'm really impressed by them. Still struggling to quantify the "differences" and by how many % points, but for now I'll just continue to listen and enjoy.

 

[JoelSim]

Very difficult to say really as it's been a long time. I liked my Arcams very much, they had an involving sound and what I thought at the time was a good level of detail, a good soundstage.

All I can really say is that my Unico CDE was an improvement on the CD192, the Maestro Settanta had a fuller sound than the Arcams, it exuded more power but difficult to make a comparison as all my other electronics have changed in the meantime including speakers.

The Leema has taken it to another level, whilst the Maestro was and is a great amp, I do feel the Leema gets into the soul of the music more. I was hearing things last night, example was rasping of the voices, but many other small elements that I don't recall hearing before. I could hear more of the real performance underneath the music if you know what I'm trying to say, it felt more alive.

No doubt if I went back to the Arcams it would be easy to tell the difference.

What about your Roks?

 

[plastic penguin]

Charlie Jefferson:JoelSim:Aha, good. Don't like leaving things on. Joel, what's your thoughts on the Tucana compared to your old Arcams? That's if you can make your mind and ears go back that far. I've just gone from an A85/P90 combo to the Roksans listed below, and I'm really impressed by them. Still struggling to quantify the "differences" and by how many % points, but for now I'll just continue to listen and enjoy.

Sorry for over-simplifying the issue, but surely you've answered your own question by saying: "...I'm really impressed by them." Trying to dissect and analyse the your bundles is missing the spirit of upgrades. That's the enjoyment. The only relevent question is: "Is it worthwhile...?"

 

[Charlie Jefferson]

JoelSim:
Very difficult to say really as it's been a long time. I liked my Arcams very much, they had an involving sound and what I thought at the time was a good level of detail, a good soundstage.

All I can really say is that my Unico CDE was an improvement on the CD192, the Maestro Settanta had a fuller sound than the Arcams, it exuded more power but difficult to make a comparison as all my other electronics have changed in the meantime including speakers.

The Leema has taken it to another level, whilst the Maestro was and is a great amp, I do feel the Leema gets into the soul of the music more. I was hearing things last night, example was rasping of the voices, but many other small elements that I don't recall hearing before. I could hear more of the real performance underneath the music if you know what I'm trying to say, it felt more alive.

No doubt if I went back to the Arcams it would be easy to tell the difference.

What about your Roks?

I know what you're saying. It's similar to how I feel when I'm listening to the Roksans. There's more there. More air around certain vocals (cf.Jake Thackray Live) and a more detailed, yet spacious sound to complex production (cf. Trevor Horn's production of Belle & Sebastian's Step Into My Office,Baby), to name two diametrically opposed recordings.

I too loved my Arcams, but once I went up the speaker upgrade path, they lost a little of their sonic lustre. Hence the Roksans.

Peace etc.

Enjoy.

 

[Charlie Jefferson]

plastic penguin:
Charlie Jefferson:JoelSim:Aha, good. Don't like leaving things on. Joel, what's your thoughts on the Tucana compared to your old Arcams? That's if you can make your mind and ears go back that far. I've just gone from an A85/P90 combo to the Roksans listed below, and I'm really impressed by them. Still struggling to quantify the "differences" and by how many % points, but for now I'll just continue to listen and enjoy.

Sorry for over-simplifying the issue, but surely you've answered your own question by saying: "...I'm really impressed by them." Trying to dissect and analyse the your bundles is missing the spirit of upgrades. That's the enjoyment. The only relevent question is: "Is it worthwhile...?"

You're right, PP, but I sometimes feel the need to somehow qualify and quantify. Then again, in my day job I often trot out the maxim, "not everything of worth is measurable", so maybe I'm stuck between the two. Relativism versus absolutism.

 

[plastic penguin]

Charlie Jefferson:plastic penguin:

Charlie Jefferson:JoelSim:Aha, good. Don't like leaving things on. Joel, what's your thoughts on the Tucana compared to your old Arcams? That's if you can make your mind and ears go back that far. I've just gone from an A85/P90 combo to the Roksans listed below, and I'm really impressed by them. Still struggling to quantify the "differences" and by how many % points, but for now I'll just continue to listen and enjoy.

Sorry for over-simplifying the issue, but surely you've answered your own question by saying: "...I'm really impressed by them." Trying to dissect and analyse the your bundles is missing the spirit of upgrades. That's the enjoyment. The only relevent question is: "Is it worthwhile...?"

You're right, PP, but I sometimes feel the need to somehow qualify and quantify. Then again, in my day job I often trot out the maxim, "not everything of worth is measurable", so maybe I'm stuck between the two. Relativism versus absolutism.

Granted. If everyone had the same attitude as me no doubt the forum would grind to a sad halt. However, that said, I do believe you can analyse the technical aspect too much and over cook the issue. This ultimately results in confusion as opposed to resolution.

For me: Room size/acoustics + amp wattage + speaker db = lots of demos + I rely heavily on the big flappy things on the side of my head. Once my ears smile then it's right...

...now for something completely different...

 

[JoelSim]

Clare Newsome:Your choice - you can switch it off at remote for standby, or manually for full-off.

Still can't work this out. The blue light is still on even when manually switched off.

 

[Anonymous]

joel how about a review in your finest hifi lingo

...

dont mind chebby , the rest of us love it

 

[JoelSim]

maxflinn:
joel how about a review in your finest hifi lingo

...

dont mind chebby , the rest of us love it

Difficult tonight as the TV is on and music is off, but I will do one soon when I've had a chance to listen to a few different albums.

 

[Ronald Archiebald]

JoelSim,

The Leema Tucana II is one of the best amps around. You have been very lucky to get it at a fantastic price.

Treasure your new purchase and enjoy your music. It is your money and your kit, that's what matters above everything else.

I have no doubt that you worked hard for it, so just relish in the fact that you are the proud owner of a brilliant piece of kit.

Ronald

 

[John Duncan]

Ronald Archiebald:I have no doubt that you worked hard for it

Au contraire, I suspect he hung around business class lounges quaffing free red...

 

[JoelSim]

Ronald Archiebald:
JoelSim,

The Leema Tucana II is one of the best amps around. You have been very lucky to get it at a fantastic price.

Treasure your new purchase and enjoy your music. It is your money and your kit, that's what matters above everything else.

I have no doubt that you worked hard for it, so just relish in the fact that you are the proud owner of a brilliant piece of kit.

Ronald

First impressions are very good, and my old amp is not shabby.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Joel, re the power - seems I remembered wrongly; it's the mains-block switch we've been hitting when we want to take it off standby (which is a rarity).

 

[JoelSim]

Yes, looks like it. Oh well, more walking to compensate then.

 

[JoelSim]

JohnDuncan:Ronald Archiebald:I have no doubt that you worked hard for itAu contraire, I suspect he hung around business class lounges quaffing free red...

That's right John, all I ever do.

I'm not good on planes. Nearly got arrested last time when the woman in front of my g/f reclined her seat so that it was squashing my sleeping baby boy and then refused to move it. I can tell you a few choice words were said to her and her husband ending up with a nose to nose. I was moved and had my name taken. Told them I was called Naomi Campbell, you probably read about it. My g/f still dines out on that story given I'm quiet and mellow normally.

 

[John Duncan]

JoelSim:you probably read about it

Nope. Which is unusual, because as you know, I'm a reader.

And google searches are turning up nothing but you writing to The Daily Telegraph (which proves that even the oddest of couples can have something in common).

 

[JoelSim]

JohnDuncan:JoelSim:you probably read about itNope. Which is unusual, because as you know, I'm a reader.And google searches are turning up nothing but you writing to The Daily Telegraph (which proves that even the oddest of couples can have something in common).

Have you taken something tonight? You are speaking gobbledegook.